Atlanta -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It was somewhere in the middle of Six Flags ' Goliath roller coaster that my eye started to short-circuit , nearly going black . The towering roller coaster pressed my fellow riders and me deep into our seats as we rounded a set of sharp curves .

Many find the ride thrilling ; for me it was unnerving . I spent much of my time in line for the next ride of the day , the Batman roller coaster , reading about the potential for roller coaster deaths and accidents . This was Friday in Georgia , the same day a woman died after falling from her seat on a Six Flags coaster in Texas .

Pecking through roller coaster news on my phone that day , before the death in Texas had been reported , I learned , among other things , that it was reported that a 45-year-old died after passing out and having an apparent heart attack on Goliath , the ride that made my eye briefly malfunction . I get that this seems paranoid , and I knew reading this information while waiting in line for a roller coaster was an unnecessary form of self-torture . But I could n't help it .

There 's something about a roller coaster death that is uniquely terrifying in a screenplay kind of way .

It 's summer fun gone horribly wrong .

I think this is partly why so many are shocked and saddened by the death of Rosy Esparza , who fell , according to a witness who spoke with CNN affiliate WFAA , from the Texas Giant roller coaster at Six Flags in Arlington , Texas . The exact cause remains unknown , but authorities say there was no sign of `` foul play or criminality . ''

Six Flags said in a statement that safety is paramount .

`` Since the safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority , the ride has been closed pending further investigation , '' the park said .

A park spokeswoman did not immediately respond to requests for comment on its safety inspection policies and the calls for federal oversight .

Still , it 's a reluctant thrill seeker 's greatest fear .

It 's almost impossible to imagine how terrifying the experience would be -- and how family members and fellow riders could process such an accident .

After Esparza 's death , Sen. Ed Markey , the Democrat from Massachusetts who recently took the seat vacated by John Kerry , has reportedly renewed his call for federal oversight of roller coaster inspection . `` No federal agency has legal authority to enforce safety standards , '' NBC wrote in a post about the safety issues . `` And Texas is one of at least 17 states that have no agency responsible for inspecting amusement park rides , according to NBC News ' survey of state codes in all 50 states . ''

Markey wants a federal agency to oversee safety enforcement .

The Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates mobile amusement park rides , like those found at fairs , but does not have jurisdiction over `` fixed '' rides like those at Six Flags , said Scott Wolfson , a spokesman for the federal agency .

The difference makes little sense , and Markey is n't alone in his call for more oversight . Tracy Mehan , from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children 's Hospital in Columbus , Ohio , said that relatively little is known about the prevalence of roller coaster injuries and deaths because the federal government does n't enforce safety inspections and investigations .

A patchwork of state laws govern the process , she said .

Would-be roller coaster regulators have been criticized as needlessly scaring people about the dangers of roller coasters . And it 's true that the statistics are n't quite as terrifying as the rides . As the National Review put it this year , `` Americans are 5,000 times more likely to be legally executed by their own government than to die on a roller coaster . '' The writer , Charles C.W. Cooke , puts the odds of roller coaster death at 1 in 1.5 billion in a given year , compared with a 1 in 10 million chance of being killed `` because the aircraft he is traveling on falls apart . ''

But that framing is misleading , given how little is known about national roller coaster injuries . One of the best sources of information comes from a Center for Injury and Policy Research study of child injuries in the United States . After looking at injuries that were treated in hospitals from 1990 to 2010 , the group found that a child is hospitalized from an injury related to an amusement park , carnival , fair or arcade-type ride once every three days in the summer , Mehan said .

These are serious injuries : fractures , neck injuries and traumatic brain injuries .

Including less serious injuries like bruises and sprains , about 4,440 child injuries are reported to hospitals each year on the rides , including those at fairs and other attractions , she said . The rate is 20 injuries per day during the summer months .

`` We would really like to see a national database or a national system put in place so we can get a picture of what 's happening , '' she said .

The group was unable to compile info on deaths , for example .

Regardless of the stats , however , it 's the joy-gone-wrong factor that makes roller coaster deaths particularly horrifying . Are those fears slightly irrational and disproportionate ? Maybe . But safety seems far from assured these days .

Improvements , of course , must be weighed against deadlier public safety concerns . More should be done , for instance , to prevent road-traffic deaths , which kill about 1.3 million people globally each year . Many of those deaths could be prevented with simple changes to traffic laws and other rules , according to a fascinating report from Bloomberg Philanthropies -LRB- PDF -RRB- ; and self-driving cars could lead to greater reductions , still .

But the existence of more-pressing and deadlier threats does not justify lax oversight of amusement park rides that are meant to entertain .

Roller coaster fans should support a review of safety requirements . Otherwise , at the very least , they risk having a joyous experience soured by fear .

The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of John D. Sutter .

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Woman dies on roller coaster in Texas on Friday

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John Sutter : Federal regulations for roller coasters should be considered

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Official says the federal government has no authority over rides that are n't mobile